Other conservatives also distanced themselves from Sen. Vicki Marble of Fort Collins, who at a poverty reduction task force meeting at the Capitol on Wednesday talked about blacks eating chicken and Mexicans getting fat once they immigrate to the United States.

But Ken Clark, a hard-right talk radio host who described himself as one of Marble’s closest friends, said that although she voiced her opinions “awkwardly,” she did not do so in a racist manner.

He said she simply was trying to get answers for why blacks and Latinos have a lower life-expectancy rate than whites, a topic the committee was reviewing.

“She doesn’t have a racist bone in her body. Did she say it wrong? You bet she did,” said Clark, of Grassroots Radio at KLZ 560 AM.

He said he spoke with Marble after the hearing — where a black lawmaker, Rep. Rhonda Fields, D-Aurora, called the senator out for her “stereotypical references about African-Americans and chicken and food.” Clark said Marble told him she had no reason to apologize because she had done nothing wrong.

Others disagreed.

“Sen. Marble’s careless comments do not reflect the views of Republicans,” GOP chairman Ryan Call said in a statement issued Thursday.

“Since the time of Abraham Lincoln, the GOP has a proud history of standing up for minorities, and we are committed to fighting for policies that ensure every American has the opportunity to succeed.”

And the state’s best known conservative blog, Colorado Peak Politics, ripped Marble and noted offensive comments made this year by Democratic lawmakers.

“Stupidity is not the sole purview of either party, it seems,” Peak wrote.

“While what she said wasn’t meant to be malicious, it did expose a stunning ignorance and small-mindedness. … Marble is about to face a national onslaught of mockery and condemnation. She made her bed, and now she’ll have to lie in it.”

Marble issued a statement late Wednesday through Senate Republicans saying she was “saddened” that her comments were taken by some to be “disparaging to any community.”

A customer dining at Washington’s Oceanaire restaurant noticed an unusual line at the bottom of his receipt: “Due to the rising costs of doing business in this location, including costs associated with higher minimum wage rates, a 3% surcharge has been added to your total bill.”

Three fundraising giants decided to pull events from President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Florida, on Thursday, signaling a direct blowback to his business empire from his comments on Charlottesville’s racial unrest.